Make Something Every Month - April - Making a Blouse/Top

This month's Make Something Every Month offering is another dressmaking project that I started a week or so ago and one that I've never attempted before.  I decided to make a simple blouse/top, using this pattern that I got free with Prima magazine. 

I had a good look through my fabric stash and decided to use this pretty spotted lightweight cotton lawn type fabric.  Again it was purchased from a charity shop for a pound or two.  I seem to have acquired quite a lot of fabric this way over the years.

I've previously made a snood with this fabric and I wear it from time to time.  It is very soft and light, great for the summer, but does have a tendency to fray at the edges.  I cut out the pattern pieces, there were just two of them and then proceeded to cut them out of the fabric.  I made the blouse a little longer than in the pattern and the same length at the front and back, as I preferred it this way.

The first thing I had to do was to sew the shoulder seams together and then attach bias binding to the neck.  I've not really used bias binding very much in the past.  I bought this binding from John Lewis on a recent shopping trip with Little Bird.  It cost £1.90.  It was quite thin which I liked, especially with the delicacy of the fabric.  I pinned it around the neck and then tacked it into place before machine sewing it.  It was a bit tricky as in some places the fabric came away from the binding and I had to slot it back into place, but eventually I managed to secure it in place all the way around and I'm quite pleased with the result.  It's not perfect, but I think it's okay for a first attempt.

Next, I had to sew the sleeve hems which I did by machine and then the side seams from the sleeve end to the bottom of the blouse needed machining too.  The hem of the blouse I stitched by hand as I do with my skirts, so that you can't see the stitches.  I also pinked the inside raw edges of the fabric as my over locker isn't working and they needed to be neatened to prevent fraying.  Here's the finished result. 

It's not the most exciting item I've made, as it is a very simple garment and I will need to wear a vest under it, as it is pretty transparent.  It will also probably look a little less sack-like if I wear a belt with it or tuck it into a skirt, as demonstrated in the photo on the pattern.  It  was good to make something different for a change  though and it will be nice and lightweight for any warm weather we might get this summer.

As it is so simple, I'm thinking of using this pattern again, but with a few amendments, to make a night dress out of some floral jersey fabric that I have lurking in my stash.  I'll have to lengthen it and I think I will also change the neckline, as it is too wide for my liking.  I'll let you know how I get on.